Stemming from demand from our clients, the Ontario Library Service (OLS) is engaged in the process of developing a Valuing Ontario Libraries Toolkit for all Ontario public libraries designed to provide consistent and replicable ways that libraries can report on the value they contribute to communities across Ontario. To that end, NORDIK Institute from Algoma University (designers of the original Valuing Northern Libraries Toolkit) has been contracted to lead a series of engagements with OLS clients across the province to adapt the toolkit with a province-wide lens.

Engagement sessions will focus on questions of how you represent the value that public libraries create in your communities, what unique aspects should be encompassed by the toolkit, any pressures related to how that value is communicated, and any previous experience with similar tools to measure value. Participation is on a first-come-first-serve basis, with registration through LearnHQ. Engagement sessions are primarily based on community size, with specific sessions also dedicated to First Nation libraries, libraries serving significant Francophone communities, and those with regular experience using the former Valuing Northern Libraries Toolkit.